Cruciate ligament injury

michael84

Lads i twisted my knee in a match and i have been told by a consultant its probably cruciate ligament damage. I have not gone for a scan yet. The consultant told me that if its only a partial tear they will not operate and he said il have to play on til it fully ruptures, is their any truth in this?? Views from people who have done their cruciate would be welcome.

Steffano2002

I've heard somebody say that to me before but that doesn't mean it's true... I visited the following sites and neither mention it:

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/knee/anteriorcruciate.htm
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/kneeinjuriescruciate.htm

By reading these I've actually just realised I might have injured my cruciate ligament myself last year at the start of the season! Didn't do anything about it either... I'm fine now though!

Is your knee painful? I had the following sensations: started hurting the day after a tough game and any time I put weight on it (especially going up the stairs!) it would "click" and feel really "funny"/"out of place"/"messed up" when I walked... And when I tried to bend it, it wouldn't go all the way. It would feel as if I had a "wet sponge" right in the middle of the knee and I had loads of fluid on each side, just under the knee cap. Never thought anything of it so kept playing and it went away

EdgarAllenPoo

Was it ACL or PCL. DOn't play on if there's a partial tear, common sense would say you risk making a bad injury worse and may then be looking at surgery and 3-6 months of recovery.

dunser

Lads

I was in the same boat. I had a small tear about 3 yrs ago. They did a scope and took out some cartlidge and got physio for the ACL part tear. after about 9 weeks of treatment etc was told to resume playing and 10 mins into a game I compleately ruptured it. HAd to go for surgey and was out of action of for 9 months minium. If I had choice I would have surgey now and dont waste 9 weeks I did doing physio for nothing. Now I suffer from Pains from Artrishise and I blame the delay for it

Rogueish

michael84 wrote:

Lads i twisted my knee in a match and i have been told by a consultant its probably cruciate ligament damage. I have not gone for a scan yet. The consultant told me that if its only a partial tear they will not operate and he said il have to play on til it fully ruptures, is their any truth in this?? Views from people who have done their cruciate would be welcome.

Hi Michael,

Yes many consultants do recommend that the cruciate must be totally or at least >75% (depending on the surgeon) of the ligamentous fibres must be ruptured before they will operate. The reason is that many people can be perfectly functional with only a partial ACL. So why put a patient through what may end up being a wholly unnecessary operation especially with the possible complications involved in undergoing a surgical procedure with a full general anaesthetic?

The recovery time for a cruciate injury is between 6-12 months again depending on the surgeons own protocol. In that time usually a person is off work for minimum of 3 weeks post op (increase this if the patient has a very physical job) as well as discomfort and post operative pain (you cannot drive for a week or two either). Then there is the whole rehabilitative process which extends over anything from 6-12months.

Whereas if you take the chance that with a bit of physiotherapy to stabilise your knee that you will not have to take time off work and after a few weeks can continue your sport uninterrupted. Worst case scenario is that the ACL finally ruptures and you have to undergo surgery. You have lost nothing just a few weeks of physio (which if you were injured during a match and were an insured player you should be covered for).

This is all assuming that it is your anterior cruciate ligament that you damaged. If you injured your posterior cruciate ligament it is very rare for it to be surgically repaired. You would have to be a very high level athlete for it to be even considered here in Ireland. (I ruptured my PCL four years ago and I am perfectly functional without it)

By physio to strengthen and stabilise the knee in the case of the anterior cruciate ligament you are looking at an intense programme of hamstring and calf strengthening, coupled with proprioceptive training and an experienced and suitably qualified therapist to guide you through the whole process.

Dunser whoever recommended you go back to full sport at 9weeks post op after a meniscus injury? Most surgeons do not recommend return to full activity until AT LEAST 12weeks. What kind of rehabilitation programme were you put on?

Anyway anyone who has damaged their knee and undergone surgery is usually recommended to take a joint supplement such as chondrotin or glucosamine. They do not help rebuild cartilage however they do help slow down degeneration which is accelerated by injury.

Cake Fiend

Try to find out more about the current injury - depending on where the ligament is damaged (with regard to blood vessels), it might heal over time. In that case, I wouldn't go putting it under any stress for quite a while.

Rogueish

The cruciate ligaments have a very poor capacity for 'healing'. They will not heal in any form that can cause it to be as 'good as new'. They will like any form of human tissue scar up. This can cause it's own problems hence the attainment of full range of motion is regarded as very important.

Doing nothing on it will not help rehabilitate it or strengthen up the stabilising forces on the knee i.e the muscles.